Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Efficacy of tocilizumab monotherapy after ultrashort glucocorticoid administration to treat giant cell arteritis: three-year follow-up
Authors' conclusion
Drug-free remission was maintained in all but two patients entering long-term extension.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with newly diagnosed GCA; median age 72 (IQR 67–75) years; 15/18 with cranial symptoms13 entered follow-up
- Participants
- 18 patients
- Outcome
- Maintenance of efficacy: proportion of patients with complete lasting remission of disease
- Follow-up
- Week 208
Methodological detailssingle-centre, open-label, Patients in clinical remission stopped tocilizumab (TCZ) at week 52
- Single-centre
- Open-label
- Patients in clinical remission stopped TCZ at week 52
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Complete lasting (relapse-free) remission
Patients in relapse-free remission at week 208
11 of 18
Patients in drug-free remission for 156 weeks
11 of 13
Further findings
Relapse-free remission · week 52
- Patients in relapse-free remission, entered follow-up
- 13/18
Minor relapses during follow-up (weeks 72, 187 and 200)
- Patients with minor relapses
- 2/13
- Remission achieved after restart of TCZ monotherapy in both patients
Original publication
Efficacy of tocilizumab monotherapy after ultrashort glucocorticoid administration to treat giant cell arteritis: three-year follow-up. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 6 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →